Stormers coach admits Champions Cup success still out of reach, despite brilliant URC strides

• Stormers coach John Dobson said the Champions Cup remains a distant goal, despite the massive strides they have made in the United Rugby Championship.
• The Stormers lost Saturday’s URC final 19-14 to Munster at the Cape Town Stadium, much to Dobson’s disappointment.
• Dobson was happy that the final showcased the best of Irish and South African rugby, saying Saturday’s final “felt like an international”.

Stormers coach John Dobson said Champions Cup success remains a distant goal for them until they sort out their depth and funding issues.

The Stormers, who were losing United Rugby Championship finalists on Saturday when they lost 19-14 to Munster at the Cape Town Stadium, exited the Champions Cup at the quarter-final stage when they lost to Exeter.

Munster left the Champions Cup on 1 April in the round of 16 when they lost 50-35 to the Sharks in Durban.

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However, that proved to be their Eureka moment as they went on to win four and draw one of their five remaining URC games, all away, to win the tournament so deservedly.

Both the Stormers and Munster will again take part in the Champions Cup next season, with Netwerk24 recently reporting that the former may be in line to get a new equity partner.

Dobson said their while their early Champions Cup exit was a blessing in disguise, it didn’t mask the fact they still didn’t quite cut the mustard to go all the way in that tournament.

“We’re a little bit off that at the moment,” Dobson said.

“If we had to go to La Rochelle for a semi-final and come back for a URC semi-final, we wouldn’t be here today.

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“There sounds like there are going to be adjustments to the cap, but we do need bigger squads because our depth at the moment and the youngsters we have won’t solve the Heineken Cup problem.

“You also, hypothetically, where we have a big European Cup game away where we have our main front row away [want] … another one sitting here prepping for the next URC game.

“If we go to Exeter, we’ll need to have a team good enough here at home to beat Munster, but it may come over the next year when we do an equity deal.

“Our pathways here are brilliant, but we need a few more guys to compete and that’s where the investment comes in.”

Dobson was firm in the view that Munster’s success further bolstered the URC’s credibility as a tournament.

Munster last won the tournament in 2011 and this was their fourth final attempt, with three others (two at home) being painfully lost.

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Dobson said Munster’s ability to win not just one game but remain undefeated in five on the road, including the Cape Town final, also spoke to the incredible nature of the tournament.

Munster’s last URC defeat came in their last home match, against the Glasgow Warriors. What followed was a gruelling campaign of five games away in which they went unbeaten, including a victory over the Stormers last month, a draw to the Sharks in Durban, and an astonishing upset of Leinster to reach the final.

“Munster has a powerful and great rugby tradition and story,” Dobson said.

“To win six games in a row (Munster were unbeaten in five games, including the 22-22 draw with the Sharks) is impressive, especially on the road because the home team winning, especially in the Heineken Cup, became formulaic.

“This occasion was spectacular because last season felt like a local derby that happened to be called the URC.

“This final felt like an international.”